Food Hygiene Rating Scheme

Food Hygiene Rating Scheme

The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme is operated by the Food Standards Agency and delivered by local authorities. The food hygiene rating given to a business, such as a restaurent, hotel, school ot take-away, reflects how closely the business is meeting the requirements of food hygiene law. The food safety officer inspecting a business checks how well the business is meeting the law by looking at:

how hygienically the food is handled – how it is prepared, cooked, re-heated, cooled and stored

the condition of the structure of the buildings – the cleanliness, layout, lighting, ventilation and other facilities

how the business manages and records what it does to make sure food is safe

The rating given to each business is publically available through the FSA web site. Although not legally required, some businesses promote their high scores to attract more customers. A low rating can be damaging and act as a customer deterrent.

Many companies can find it hard to increase their score or prepare for the inspections. The Food and Drink Forum team is made up of highly qualified and experienced food technicians and environmental health experts and can provide the latest knowledge and practical guidance to help your business achieve a higher rating. Obtaining a high rating promotes your business and gives your customers confidence that can lead to an increase in repeat and new sales.

Businesses wishing to take advantage of The Forum’s support can choose from the following.

Food Hygiene Rating Scheme Training Workshop

This one day workshop that helps businesses to understand the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme with the aim of providing the information and advice required to improve a current rating or achieve a high standard at the first assessment. This course includes:

Companies wishing to take an approach that is more tailored to their business can receive a bespoke package from The Food and Drink Forum that will provide hands-on practical support. The Forum will begin by visiting premises to review production areas, processes and the latest Food Hygiene Rating inspection so that they can develop a practical, step-by-step action plan to enable you to improve your food hygiene and safety. A second visit will be conducted to take staff through the action plan, illustrate practical implementation and respond to any questions. All companies will also receive a best practice guide with policy and processes templates to meet your requirements. Throughout the whole process, The Food and Drink Forum team will be on hand to provide support and answer any questions you may have.

Kitchen Facilities for Hire

The Food and Drink Forum is situated on Southglade Food Park, which contains a fully fitted production kitchen that is available for hire. The kitchen meets all food grade production standards and has a food hygiene rating of 5. Access times are flexible and this facility can be used for any purpose to meet your business requirements such as, for example, developing new dishes or as an overflow for temporary production.